In the world of a single parent, things can occasionally present themselves that are hard to talk about. We know that we need to talk things through with our child or children, and that we need to keep the lines of communication open—but it can be so hard! When you are not sure what to say or how to say it, it is okay to develop a script, write things out, and practice…
There is no law that says we have to be golden-tongue communicators all the time with our children. The important thing is that we continue to make attempts and to try. As single parents, we often have to talk about sensitive and difficult subjects with our kids—custody, family arrangements, pain, etc. and these topics are not easy even for the most eloquent of us. There is nothing wrong with spending some extra time practicing before attempting to have the conversations with our children.
I have found that writing things out in my journal prior to initiating a conversation to be extremely helpful. I am able to write and ramble and get my own emotions and biases on paper and then I can extract the appropriate parts to use when I talk with my child or children. Other people find that role playing or even talking through a “script” of what they will say and what they anticipate the child will say to be helpful. As with most things, the more you practice, the more comfortable and confident you will feel. Practice can also help you to see sides of a situation that you couldn’t before and, as with my journal-writing, it can help you to process your own emotions and issues around a difficult subject before you actually sit down to talk with your child.
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